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Dear Fellow City Reliquarian,

In the midst of the holiday season, I'm reaching out on behalf of the City Reliquary board, staff, and volunteers to thank you for your support during a transformative year for our organization and our city. After more than two years of pandemic life, I've been so happy to see the sidewalks outside our Metropolitan Avenue storefront busy and bustling once more. Together, we are gradually rebuilding New York’s vitality.

Thanks to your support and friendship, the Reliquary has also regained its vitality. This year marked the **City Reliquary’s 20th anniversary**, a milestone that is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve in our Williamsburgh neighborhood. Recently, the [New York Times](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwid0bWv9oj8AhW3nWoFHZcmB74QFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Finteractive%2F2022%2F10%2F06%2Ftravel%2Fthings-to-do-nyc.html&usg=AOvVaw0OTnynmUc-KJoHmMDOXNyi) named the City Reliquary **one of the must-see sites in New York City**. You have helped us reach this previously unthinkable point, and I am truly grateful. We have not wasted this renewed momentum. In the past year, the Reliquary has presented programming that speaks to immediate concerns facing our city and the nation. 

[Make a Gift or Buy a Membership](https://withfriends.co/cityreliquary)

This past June, just hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the City Reliquary opened ***Wonder Women: NYC’s Heroes of Heterodoxy***. The exhibit illustrates the central role of New York in historic fights for bodily autonomy, dating from the early women’s movement to the present day, and Wonder Woman’s role as a symbol for these struggles. In the current political moment, the show could not be more timely. Earlier this year, our ***Bird Show*** exhibit documented the birds, people, and bird people in New York City. It asked viewers to consider themselves and their city as a strange and active part of nature and wildlife, rather than separate from it.

As a community space, we were thrilled to host a diverse array of New York creatives, nonprofits, and activists this year. We partnered with **Uptown Stories** to host a day of tours, talks, and poetry writing for young kids and teens. We hosted the debut performance of ***Undersigned***, an innovative, immersive theater project from producer **Yannick Trapman-O’Brien**. The **Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP)** held a fundraiser for abortion access that featured NYC burlesque and drag performers. **“Stories from Brooklyn,”** presented with **Radix Media** as part of the **Brooklyn Book Festival**, gave voice to emerging and independent writers. Events from longtime City Reliquary regulars **Cartoon Carnival** and **That Slapstick Show** presented impressive collections of rare, vintage cartoons and comedies. And new City Reliquary regulars **Bare Book Club**, **Big Milk**, **Burlesque Apothecary**, **Last Chance Dancers**, **Petting Zoo**, **Stereopanorama**, and **Undiscovered Countries** transformed the Reliquary into a laboratory for artists of all disciplines.

[Make a Gift or Buy a Membership](https://withfriends.co/cityreliquary)

These are just a few highlights from a year robust with creativity and passion that you helped make possible. The support we have received from friends like you has given us the freedom to present meaningful exhibits and open our doors to artists and performers experimenting with their material, or even performing for the first time.

The generosity of civic-minded supporters like you is the cornerstone of our work. **Your gift to the City Reliquary Year-End Appeal will help us continue to elevate the overlooked histories of New York and give voice to the vibrant and diverse communities who call the city home today.** As we embark upon our third decade in Brooklyn, we will keep highlighting the everyday treasures of New York–people, places, and things, past and present. Please consider making a donation or purchasing a membership today.

Always Civic,

<img data-file-id="12952208" height="31" src="https://mcusercontent.com/1d314f6c7241bcaf87d0d872a/images/0eac49ee-68a6-de30-3fb4-6db6bf6f514c.png" style="border: 0px;width: 150px;height: 31px;margin: 0px;outline: none;text-decoration: none;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic;" width="150"/>

Dave Herman
Founder and Board President

[Make a Gift or Buy a Membership](https://withfriends.co/cityreliquary)

**Questions?** We’re here to help. Please reach out to Beth Haines at [beth@cityreliquary.org](). The City Reliquary is a not-for-profit community museum and civic organization located in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. Through permanent displays of New York City artifacts, rotating exhibits of community collections, and annual cultural events, The City Reliquary connects visitors to both the past and present of New York. **Not yet a member?**

The City Reliquary amplifies the stories of overlooked and underground New York—your membership will help the Reliquary continue to present educational exhibits and programs while also serving as a testing ground where local creatives can experiment with their work. A membership through WithFriends provides essential financial support that will help see us through another 20 years in Williamsburgh.

Join the City Reliquary today to receive exciting benefits, including complimentary admission to the museum and most Reliquary events!

[Make a Gift or Buy a Membership](https://withfriends.co/cityreliquary)